make a monkey out of
verb
- to make someone appear stupid; to make a fool out of
Wiktionary
verb
- To cause a person, group, or action to appear foolish or inferior; to subject someone or something to ridicule.
“The rough old sealer swore some terrible oaths, protesting "that he would not make a monkey of himself, by appearing in this garb."”
“Across France last week, doctors were trying to make a monkey of the government-controlled health-insurance system. . . . Doctors in many départements went on informal strike.”